Career horoscopes: Feb. 3 - Feb. 9

Christopher Renstrom is the creator of Rulingplanets.com which is his idea of an on-line, subscription-based, interactive Astrology Magazine. It is based on his bestselling book Ruling Planets, which was published by HarperCollins in 200...

Where there's a wile, there's a way

Mercury retrograde is famous for introducing snafus and glitches, which is why astrologers caution against conducting important business while this planet is moving backward in the sky. Conventional wisdom says that nothing good will come of it, and for the most part, conventional wisdom is right — especially if you're one of those people who likes things upfront and formulaic. However, if your mind is of a more inventive bent, then you will discover that obstacles — rather than barring your way — actually contain clues that will give you the inside track to where you want to go. Just make sure to be savvy enough to not take anything at face value and to ask the right questions. Mercury will be retrograde from Feb. 6 to Feb. 28.

ARIES (March 20 - April 18)

You have to come up with something better than an angry tirade about why you deserve a raise or a promotion. People don't like being yelled at — especially bosses. It's important to remember that your boss is a person, too. Treat him like an unfeeling parent and you'll get treated like a bratty child. Switch the monologue to a dialogue on Feb. 6 and you'll make headway. You won't get what you're looking for now (probably because of budgetary constraints), but at least you'll get the ball rolling in the right direction.